Weird Nature 15 Bizarre, Slightly Unsettling Animal Eating Habits

Humans can often be found eating some really disgusting things, but some of our non-Homo sapien cousins take gross to a new extreme. There are many weird ways animals consume their food, but also unusual ways they catch their prey and what exactly their menu includes. Some even have really terrifying animal mouths. There are blood-guzzling birds and parasites that eat eyes; sea creatures which possess fists of fury and birds that eat other birds' vomit. And don't forget the handful of insects that drink tears.

Clearly, weird and repulsive eating habits abound in the animal kingdom and the gross animal eating habits you'll find in this list make these creatures seem, well, like animals. In fact, you may never look at your food the same way again. So, how do animals eat and why are their feeding habits sometimes insanely gross? Wonder no more.

Some Bees And Butterflies Drink Tears

It may sound overly dramatic to drink someone else's tears, but some bees and butterflies actually do this. Butterflies in the Amazon are known to drink turtle tears, sweat bees like to sip on humans, and both butterflies and bees were observed partaking of crocodile tears in Costa Rica. Scientists believe the critters are after the salt contained in tears and sweat, since they are unable to get enough sodium through their own diet. Some researches also believe sweat bees can obtain protein from our body fluids.

Vampire Finches Feast On The Blood Of The Unborn

Found in the Galapagos Islands, sharp-beaked ground finches have developed a nasty habit. They use their sharp beaks to peck through the skin of blue-footed boobie birds and drink their blood. Researchers believe these grisly birds, affectionately known as "Vampire Finches," are reacting to food shortages and drought. Oddly enough, the boobies don't seem to react to this invasion of privacy, even when vampire finches line up for their turn to feed.

Perhaps the most Satanic birds who ever existed, in addition to drinking blood, vampire finches also eat the unborn. They steal eggs from boobies, rolling them over rocks or kicking them off ledges until they break open, and the gooey contents can be consumed.

A Strange Parasite Dines On Shark Eyes

Ommatokoita elongata are parasitic copepods about two inches long that attach themselves to the eyeballs of Greenland and Pacific sleeper sharks. They devour the shark's cornea, slowly causing blindness for their unassuming host. It works out for both parasite and shark, however, as the sharks don't really seem to mind, continuing to survive without eyesight. Scientists believe Ommatokoita suck on eyeballs rather than another part due to the ease of attachment and a weaker immune response from the shark.

Skua Birds Bully Others Into Vomiting Up A Meal

Skua live primarily at sea in the Arctic and migrate to the Southern Hemisphere in winter. They may seem like any normal bird but are unofficially known as "Pirate Birds." Skua are extremely aggressive and steal the majority their food from other birds, sometimes pestering their victims so intensely they regurgitate the contents of their stomach. Skua have been observed attacking in midair as well as creating teams of hunters in order to steal other birds' meals.